


Discount on Aisle 25

by Sabilandako



Series: Lee Donghyuck/Haechan Loving Hours: Open [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, hyuck and jeno are both broke college students, jaemin is the supportive best friend (siKE), lee donghyuck is whipped, oh my god i dont know how to do tags im sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-27
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-11-05 23:57:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17928812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sabilandako/pseuds/Sabilandako
Summary: lee donghyuck. 23 years old. a cashier at this dingy convenience store and a self-proclaimed master of making good life decisions. also a bored and broke college student, and in reality a master of making bad life decisions.that is, until an equally broke customer with a penchant for cheap instant noodles comes along.





	Discount on Aisle 25

   lee donghyuck. 23 years old. a cashier at this dingy convenience store and a self-proclaimed master of making good life decisions. also a bored and broke college student, and in reality a master of making _bad_ life decisions.

 

   the thing is, donghyuck can only count on one hand the instances when he was able to make the right decisions. most of the time, he can be seen vomiting on the shoes of his classmates on wild party nights because he overestimated his alcohol tolerance, or crying as he looks at his wallet after unplanned shopping sprees on instant noodles and coffees during his midterms and finals season. he’s usually late on his 7 am classes too, because he thinks it’s perfectly acceptable to read fanfics until one in the morning. there are times when his roommate (actually best friend, but donghyuck doesn’t really want to acknowledge na jaemin as his closest and only friend--he was held at gunpoint by jaemin when he was seven years old when the younger wanted someone to play with him, _okay?_ ) has to turn off the wifi just so donghyuck would have to finally acknowledge the existence of his fifteen impending reports and forget about the next episode of the hottest drama series there is. however, what he can consider the worst decision he ever made is taking up a side job of being a cashier at this grocery store run by his uncle ( _“because i need all the money i can get; exo’s albums are not going to buy themselves!”_ ), who is kind enough to hire a college student with no experience whatsoever of manning a cash register.

   he receives a decent pay though (or as decent a minimum wage can be), so maybe working as a cashier isn’t all that bad. what makes the situation slightly unbearable however is the fact that his shift starts at seven in the evening and ends at one in the morning. he had no choice, because his classes are all in the afternoon, and this weird guy named moon taeil got the job first and preferred the morning shift ( _“how old is he and how responsible is he to be able to wake up at ass crack o’ clock in the morning?”, “shut up please, before i fire you”_ ).

   the evening shift is quiet, almost peaceful, but donghyuck has the theory that the creepiest customers get out of their houses and flock to convenience stores at these hours.

   donghyuck has had good customers--there is this one gummy-smiled man who always buys tons of food (" _because my dongsaengs always coincidentally forget their wallets whenever we eat out),_ and there is another silver-haired guy who oddly looks like jack frost who looks so handsome that donghyuck almost drools (he actually does). there are, however, the weird customers (which makes donghyuck tremble a bit and pray to the heavens above even if said heaven didn’t hear his prayer when he was seven years old and asked for the best angel they had--clearly, a demon in the form of seven-year-old jaemin is a sign enough). there is this one japanese boy who keeps on muttering _yee-haw_ and other stan twitter words under his breath, and another chinese guy who convulses and screams _“get away from me”_ on the floor whenever he sees the name 'sm entertainment'.

  being a cashier on the night shift is one hell of a ride indeed, but donghyuck likes to think that despite having made a bad life choice of deciding on being a cashier, he’s making a good life choice by pulling out a hotdog sandwich underneath the register (originally his snack) and putting it in the bag containing the purchase of the customer who came in at exactly 12 midnight.

  “we have a promo tonight--you get one free hotdog sandwich for every purchase of this…” and donghyuck peers at the amount displayed at cash register. “...hella expensive cat food. by the way, that kitten underneath your jacket is not allowed inside the premises, but, uhh, looks like the store suddenly allows pets inside too just for this month! you’re a lucky customer!”

  and donghyuck can’t help but think that the wide smile that suddenly paints the customer’s face should be considered a public hazard for almost causing blindness.

  “you hear that, lele?” the guy happily whispers to the tiny kitten tucked inside his jacket. “i blew all my allowance for your food but looks like we both are eating good tonight!” the cat just meows back and donghyuck almost chokes at the adorable display in front of him.

  the customer--tall, auburn, and handsome (but jaemin claims donghyuck has questionable tastes in men, but jaemin is straight thus his opinions do not count)--then grins shyly at donghyuck before hastily bowing in thanks and skipping out the convenience store; kitten, cat food, and sandwich tucked safely under his arms.

  donghyuck is hungry because he doesn’t get to eat the sandwich, but it’s okay because he thinks he’s in _love_.

 

* * *

 

  “let me get this straight--”

  “i’m not straight, but go off i guess.”

  jaemin rolls his eyes before pushing a pillow down donghyuck’s face to hopefully suffocate the elder. “you’re not on stan twitter, you fool. besides, you don’t know why you gave that customer a free sandwich aside from the fact that you think he looks cute? and that you’ve been pining after him ever since he stepped inside the store two months ago with a horrible case of oily hair and ratty t-shirt only to buy coffee and an energy drink, mix them together, drink it in one go, and promptly convulse on the ground?”

  “you always say you don’t care about my love life but it looks like you remember every single detail i told you! this is why i love you!”

  “enough for you to give me a free sandwich too?”

  “good try, but no.”

  suffice to say, donghyuck really looks forward to his night shift despite all the weird customers he has, if only because cute™ customer almost always comes in the store at 12 midnight. it has been two months of hopeless pining, and it is only last night that donghyuck dared to make a move. cute™ customer always looks so lost (and honestly haggard) though, so donghyuck doubts the guy will take notice of him if he doesn’t do good life choices such as giving out free gifts.

  like right now, where donghyuck is once again manning the cash register after wrestling with jaemin hours ago in their dorm room ( _“why won’t you give me free stuff too?!”, “you’re not a cute customer!”, “i literally buy my everyday lunch from your convenience store so that means i’m a customer!”, “well you’re not cute!”_ ). it’s 11:59 pm, which means cute™ customer is bound to enter the store any minute now. his mind is already working at twice the speed on what he will say to his crush to start any conversation, but any attempts on using his brain cells are thwarted when the bell rings and in comes the subject of donghyuck’s attention, looking so so adorable (and lost, like any college student does).

  donghyuck watches as the man shuffles around the noodles section, before seven bottles of instant coffee are placed on the register. there are eyebags on the customer’s face (similar to donghyuck’s, because it’s nearing midterms season and his grades will be damned if he doesn’t do all-nighters) but he still manages to look cute, so donghyuck can’t help but blurt out a _“from which school are you and why do you always buy instant coffee because you always look so tired yet always cute?”_

  the customer just blinks at him in surprise and donghyuck thinks his brain-to-mouth filter really doesn’t function well after 8 pm (actually, his brain itself doesn’t even function properly at all). just as he’s about to apologize however for the abrupt comment, the man beats him to it and speaks up with the smoothest voice donghyuck has ever heard.

  “i, uh, attend sm university and it’s… it’s almost midterms? so i need to stay up to study.” and the customer bashfully lowers his head; his cheeks turning pink. “thanks for the compliment, i guess?”

  donghyuck instantly colors from sheer embarrassment before frowning--it’s unhealthy to not get enough rest, but he really can’t say anything since he’s doing the same thing. he just nods wordlessly and scans the items before an idea pops into his mind.

  “oh, by the way, our store has a freebie for those who are studying at sm university. here are some chocolate cookies, i hope you enjoy them!”

  the customer gets flustered as donghyuck all but shoves the plastic full of cookies towards the tall man’s chest, but accepts them gratefully nonetheless and happily bows down in thanks before walking out of the store; bottles of coffee and cookies tucked safely in his bag.

  donghyuck then just laughs as he realizes the man goes to the same university as him and silently thanks his elective subject for making them bake cookies in their class this afternoon.

 

* * *

 

  “i think he’s in engineering--he looks like a nerd. a cute nerd.”

  “that’s just stereotyping.” jaemin mutters as dodges the rice particles donghyuck flings towards him. “also you’re wasting food. broke college students like you and your crush need all the food you can get.”

  “you should treat me somewhere then if i’m right about him being in the college of engineering.”

  “and if he’s not?”

  “then nothing; this is a free country--i owe you nothing.”

 

  and honestly, donghyuck swears he really makes good life decisions, because if he did agree on jaemin’s suggestion of treating the younger if he gets the customer’s course wrong, he will have no choice but to empty out his wallet (because na jaemin is one picky bitch who only chooses expensive restaurants to eat at).

  “i’m from the college of math, actually. people think engineering is just the same with math, but honestly you’ll get a job with a course of engineering and none if you’re from math.” the customer shrugs as he hands donghyuck the sixth cup of instant noodles for the smaller man to check out in the counter. donghyuck is secretly in fear for the well-being of the guy’s kidneys.

  “would it be too late to change courses then?” donghyuck makes small talk as he puts the purchases into the paper bag; giddy that he’s making some sort of interaction with his crush ( _”take that, na jaemin! i’m not a panicked bisexual like you have put in your twitter bio!”_ ). the customer shakes his head as he smiles slightly.

  “yeah, tuition fee is too high for me to change courses only to end up with more years in college. gotta graduate soon and find a job, y’know?”

  and donghyuck understands, he really does, which is why, in his act of empathizing with the customer, his hand twitches and the next thing he knows, a small lunch box is being placed inside the paper bag along with the instant noodles.

  the customer raises an eyebrow at the gesture, and before he can open his mouth to probably call donghyuck his mother _(“unfortunately you would rather call your customer your daddy instead of him calling you his mommy”_ , donghyuck can just hear this annoying voice inside his head which suspiciously sounds like jaemin, but again, jaemin just probably made a pact with a devil to be able to creep into donghyuck’s mind like that), donghyuck just sorts of flaps his hands around and hurries to explain.

  “our store has a promo for customers whose names start with the letter… what’s your name again?”

  “jeno…? lee jeno.”

  “ah, yes! we have a promo for those whose names start with letter _‘j’_ and ends with _‘eno’!_ so here’s some bento, because i think the owner of this store also wants his customers to eat healthy instead of just eating instant noodles, yeah?” donghyuck laughs as he stutters on his words; red blossoming on his cheeks as he makes a fool out of himself. the customer-- _jeno,_ finally, his mind supplies--just freezes for a second before a soft chuckle escapes his lips.

  “please thank the owner of this store for me, uh…”

  “donghyuck. lee donghyuck.”

  and donghyuck’s heart skips a beat or two as jeno widely smiles; telltale signs of red also sitting high on the taller man’s cheeks. “please thank the owner for me, and thank you too, donghyuck-ssi.”

  jeno bows in gratefulness as usual before he walks out of the store; instant noodles and packed meal sitting safely inside the paper bag.

  jaemin will surely kill donghyuck because the tupperware is the younger’s prized possession, but it’s okay because donghyuck finally knows the cute customer’s name-- _jeno. yes. what a wonderful time to be alive._

 

* * *

 

  “why is mark-hyung asking me if you really are sure on trying to find someone who can forge official documents? are you trying to create a new identity and escape korea to go to russia because you accidentally killed someone from your damned chemistry class, lee donghyuck?”

  the said man only scoffs as he highlights the wrong parts on his paper--he wishes he can highlight jaemin’s whole body though because the younger sure is a huge blob of mistake. “yeah, i wish. you sure do forget that you made me sign a blood pact stating that i’m forced to be best friends with you until we both prove that moon taeil is secretly shagging my uncle--which is gross by the way, i’m telling uncle johnny you’re snooping on his sex life!”

  “you’re being overdramatic--this is what happens when you hang out with your weird mutuals on twitter who make threesome smut fanfics about lee sooman, yg’s ceo, and jyp’s!” the younger man scrunches up his nose in disgust as he kicks donghyuck’s wandering hand away that’s clutching a pink highlighter. “but seriously, what is the forger of official documents for?”

  “it was a joke, dammit. mark-hyung doesn’t know how to take a joke, just like how he doesn’t realize renjun is secretly using his picture to catfish sugar daddies like jaehyun-hyung. i just told him, _‘hey, i finally know the name of the love of my life; do you think it’s enough to make a marriage certificate already?’_ ”

  “you already want to elope with a man you barely know? i know uncle johnny is wild, but i never knew you’d be this wild too just because he raised you.”

  “i know plenty about jeno! he’s a math student and he’s broke and he rescues stray kittens and feeds them overpriced cat food and he’s broke that he always eats instant noodles and he’s a worshipper of coffee during midterms season and he’s cute and tall and handsome and he picks on his acnes even though he’s not supposed to because it will only make it worse but he’s still adorable and he’s not jaehyun-hyung-wise when it comes to body proportions but he’s still so sof--”

  and okay, maybe donghyuck really doesn’t know much about jeno, but as long as his uncle doesn’t realize that donghyuck is desecrating his precious convenience store by flirting (horribly) with a customer, and as long as jeno’s kidneys can handle eating mountains of cheap cup noodles from the store, donghyuck figures he can have all the time he needs to know more about his (hopefully) future boyfriend.

 

  “so what do you do in your free time, aside from serving boyfriend-looks?”

  so maybe donghyuck is as chaotic bisexual as jaemin claims him to be, but joke’s on him, because jeno chuckles shyly as he plays with the hair on the back of his neck. “nothing much--just playing some video games and making midnight trips to the convenience store to buy potentially life-threatening instant noodles just to risk seeing an angel behind the counter.”

  and if this is donghyuck’s stan twitter, he will have tweeted something along the lines of _“my wig? flew. my heart? nyoomed. my non-existent uterus because this isn’t some m-preg fanfic? filled. hotel? trivago.”_

  however, for how fast donghyuck’s brain is in trying to come up with witty tweets he will share with his mutuals later when he gets back home, his brain is now working at half-speed in coming up with an equally flirty reply to jeno, hence why his hand suddenly smashes on the cupboard behind him and snatches three packets of chips.

  “will you look at that?! our store suddenly provides free chips for those who play _lol of legends_!”

  “it’s actually _league of legends; lol_ for short…”

  donghyuck then laughs obnoxiously to cover up his embarrassment and jeno just chuckles lightly as he bows and waves a goodbye as he walks out of the convenience store; only three packets of chips safely tucked inside his bag.

 

* * *

 

  “your embarrassed laugh honestly sounds like mark when he tries to hit high notes--it’s full of cracks and horrible ear hazards--so i wonder how that jeno guy even manages to flirt back with you.”

  donghyuck then does a mini-dance celebration inside his head, because if johnny can joke around like this, it means the older man is in a good moo--”but that doesn’t mean you can give out what we sell for free and come up with ridiculous promos like that, hyuckie.”

  (and now, as his uncle looks at him with disapproving eyes, donghyuck slowly realizes that maybe, _slightly maybe_ , he really does have a penchant for making bad life choices.)

  “but don’t you want me finally being happy? i thought you wanted me to find the love of my life so i can finally stop sulking around?” the thing is, donghyuck knows what johnny’s weakness is (and no, it’s not hot red-haired amazing singers like moon taeil, as much as jaemin insists) and fully uses it to advantage by _pouting_ and tweaking its setting to _maximum overdrive_.

  of course it works, because if there is one thing donghyuck knows, it’s that he’s cute (because as his favorite motto from his idol super junior ryeowook goes, _“love yourself!”_ , so he’ll very much hype himself up if jaemin would rather die than do it for him). johnny only sighs in resignation before he stands up from his chair, drags donghyuck up from his cocoon on the couch, and promptly shoves him out of the office. “fine, but if you fail to get some dicking before the end of this month, i’ll take out from your wage the prices of the chips, you got me?”

  “i literally am a child of the saints who definitely don’t know what even a dick is, but sir, yes, sir!”

  and while donghyuck is not after some dick as of the moment, he very much is after some loving from one particular cute™ customer, and he is determined to finally get that after almost three months of pining after said customer.

  what he does not know, however, is that someone is as determined as him to get some loving from one particular cute™ cashier.

  jeno shows up right on the dot--12 midnight--and donghyuck can’t help but feel nervous because jeno himself looks nervous. the tall man slowly walks to the counter, sweat beading on his forehead and his hands slightly shaking, and before donghyuck can even ask him what he is going to purchase tonight, the man speaks up with a trembling but surprisingly confident voice.

  “so, uh, i know your store has a lot of promos and discounts, but do you think you also have a promo for those who are too cowardly to ask cute cashiers for their numbers because they have been hopelessly pining for them for almost three months already but are too afraid to make a move so they just waste money on buying instant noodles so they’ll have a reason to go to the store every single night instead…?”

  and donghyuck, poor lovestruck donghyuck, thinks that it doesn’t matter how much bad and good life choices he had made, because right now, as jeno looks at him with shy yet hopeful eyes, as donghyuck himself slowly walks to the ice cream machine, as their hands meet as the smaller man hands a pink soft-serve ice cream to his customer for a valentine promo, donghyuck thinks--he thinks, _feels_ , that this is probably the only life choice he will ever make that will matter.

  “yes. yes, _i_ do have a promo for that.”

  jeno soon bows in immense gratefulness as he happily walks out of the convenience store; strawberry ice cream clutched in his hand, a tissue with a cellphone number written on it safely tucked in his pocket, and a promise of a future date protectively stored in his heart.

  
  lee donghyuck. 31 years old. a music teacher at this prestigious school and a self-proclaimed master of making good life decisions. also a happy owner of a convenience store with a caring wonderful math professor husband, and in reality a master of making the _best_ life decisions.

**Author's Note:**

> this is actually the first time i posted an nct fic omg??????? also my first time posting in ao3????? if it isn't obvious, i usually write for super junior (and post it in aff) and exo thats why im so nervous posting this one sfnjfhkjgh
> 
> anyway, this is for the loml Tanvi! i hope you'll be able to read this since i know u lurk in the 'lee jeno' tag hshakjb i love u!!!!! now's ur chance to write me the angst nohyuck fic ive always wanted uwu
> 
> inspired by this tweet! (honestly injeolmini should be blessed by the heavens above for creating this au idea)  
> https://twitter.com/injeolmini/status/1060721297414545408


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